Faith
by ChestnutBrumby
Summary: Missing Avengers Scenes - Jane Foster has a new job, thanks to S.H.E.I.L.D., but hasn't forgotten her Thunder God. And while he might get a little distracted saving the world, he hasn't forgotten her, either... Movieverse, slight Avengers spoilers.
1. Chapter 1

TFF

Jane Foster stepped outside and studied the stormy skies with a pang. Electricity flashed silently, high in the clouds, and she felt the charged air against her bare arms - she'd forgotten her jacket. With a sigh she drew her arms around her body to keep warm. She couldn't help but take the darkening weather as a sign, emerging to the rooftop of her new apartment filled with hope that died quickly, like the brief flashes of light above.

She had her suspicions, right from the moment she first took the new job. Not a thing was out of place - the job offer, the transport there, the new apartment stacked with shiny, unused utensils, the job itself. Many aspects of employment in the field of scientific research were chaotic, and Jane embraced that chaos with great relish. This entire promotion had run altogether too smoothly. It had S.H.E.I.L.D. written all over it. Not that Coulson had showed his face - but she knew they were behind this.

It wasn't such a bad thing. They had given her back her research and set her up with state of the art equipment, which was an improvement from having to beg for grant money. Besides, S.H.E.I.L.D. would know when Thor returned.

Missing him _hurt_, physically hurt her. Every image of him was so clear in her mind. The cocky smile, the sandy hair and beard, just on the scruffy side. The way his confident stride sent the red cape whipping behind him. Wandering shirtless out of the bathroom (that scene played and replayed more often than most). Those clear, fathomless blue eyes that cut right through her, to the woman underneath the protective outer shell blocking the majority of people from seeing who she really was. Not him though. There was no blocking Thor out of her heart, even now, even when the longing to see him again kept her awake at nights.

Her second sigh whipped away by the stiff breeze, Jane scanned the skies one final time before heading inside. Tomorrow, her search would continue. She would find out how to get to him, or he to her, and eventually, they would be together again.


	2. Chapter 2

The ringing of her brand-new mobile phone started Jane from sleep, the unfamiliar ringtone making her wince as she reached for the bedside table. "Hello, Dr Foster." She mumbled, groggily, and was half annoyed at the cheerfulness of the voice on the other end. "Jane, sorry to wake you!" Kelly sounded as if she'd been awake for hours, Jane thought grumpily, squinting at the clock to see the red numbers blinking 4:15 in the morning. After falling into a restless, troubled sleep only two hours ago, Jane was less than impressed.

Kelly was one of her new coworkers, a brilliant computer programmer who ran the IT department. She towered over Jane at six feet tall, had blonde curls past her shoulders, and in general was the type of woman that being in close proximity to would usually have Jane doubting her fashion sense, confusing eyeliner with lipstick and forgetting basic sentence structure. But Kelly, along with her quick wits and razer sharp instincts about people, was also one of the nicest people Jane knew. Sorely in need of a friend in her new working environment, Jane and Kelly had hit it off.

Kelly even, in a sense, knew about Thor. Not that Jane was in love with a Thunder God whose planet she was attempting to establish a connect to, which was just a little too much for the average person to deal with, but she knew Jane was with somebody. After six attempts to set Jane up with the most handsome of their male colleges she had dragged (half) the truth from her. She thought Jane had a long-distance boyfriend... she just didn't know _how_ long. Still, there were times when Jane suspected Kelly knew more than she was letting on. She had a S.H.E.I.L.D. background afterall and may well be in contact with old friends...

"You have to come in and see this. Something's happening in New York."

Kelly was just as brilliant with computers as she was at reading people. Jane watched, impressed, as she brought up images from red-light cameras, private surveillance, and even a satellite video image that Jane felt sure was breaking several dozen federal laws by accessing.

"Look at those things!" Kelly exclaimed, while Jane exhaled sharply, horrified at the damage the car-sized flying ships were inflicting on the buildings of New York. For a moment her heart spluttered into hope. Those were not human-built aircraft, she could tell straight away.

"Oh my god." She breathed, gaze jumping from one screen to another trying to keep track of it all. Kelly frowned suddenly. "Wait - was that... that looked like Iron Man!" She exclaimed, swiftly typing in commands so fast Jane couldn't follow them. Images jumped erratically from camera to camera. "What - Tony Stark?" Jane was puzzled. What was he doing in-

Jane yelped and nearly jumped out of her chair. The image on the central computer had just flashed up a clear-as-day image. Six people stood together in the middle of a street forming a loose circle. Despite the fact one of the people seemed to be the infamous Tony Stark, in full Iron Man regalia, another looked eight feet tall and was, oh yes, _green_, and one of them was dressed in what appeared to be some sort of flag costume...

One of them...

Was _Thor_.


	3. Chapter 3

Jane felt sure the computer screen was about to burst into flame from the intensity of her stare. She leaned so far over the desk her bronze hair brushed Kelly's shoulder. Her friend frowned, taking in Jane's expression. She hadn't seen that look before.

Jane didn't notice her scrutiny. Thor looked just the way she remembered him from the final battle in the desert with the Destroyer. She had to force herself not to reach out and touch the screen, the urge to see him again flaring up sharply inside her. But the joy at seeing him, proud and imperious, soon evaporated when she saw blue eyes were narrowed in concentration as he lifted Mjölnir threateningly. Then he twirled the infinitely mystical weapon in his hand, which she knew meant he was picking a target, ready to throw at any second. She read the tension rippling through his muscles, finally began to notice details outside of Thor himself. Dismayed, Jane spotted smoke, ruined buildings, and a flaming car in the background. Struggling to come to terms with the knowledge that not only was Thor back but that he might be in danger, Jane gripped the back of Kelly's chair, turning her knuckles white - which Kelly didn't miss. What had come over her normally composed workmate? It was almost as if she...

"Do you _know_ one of them?" Kelly exclaimed, making Jane jump as she broke into her concentration. Jane swallowed - it wasn't going to take Kelly long to piece all of this together. "Later." She forced the word out, still struggling with her emotions. One of which was hurt.

_Stop it_, Jane scolded herself. Thor was very clearly in the middle of something beyond huge, and here she was feeling betrayed because he hadn't come and seen her first! _Don't be such a baby!_

"Oh my god!" Kelly pulled her attention away from studying Jane's expression, as an explosion sounded. She quickly tracked down the source and both woman watched, unconsciously holding their breath, as the attack on New York unfolded, Kelly finding different cameras to give them the best view.

"_I don't believe it_." Kelly might have had a background working with S.H.E.I.L.D., but she had never been exposed to anything quite so out of this world. Jane, on the other hand was a bit more acclimatized to the unreal. Heart in her throat, Jane clung to every second of footage. While Kelly murmured exclamations of horror as Iron Man was chased by monstrous dragonlike ships, and the massive green giant leaped from building to building, Jane just savoured every glimpse of the man she loved.

The sun had risen by the time the two scientists had watched the relay of New York's events, and the newsreaders were beginning to catch up and broadcast their own versions of events. Having seen everything more or less close up, Jane rocked back from Kelly's monitor, rubbing her hand over her forehead. He was okay - of course he was okay. Kelly had swung back to watch her instead of the screens and now her head tilted thoughtfully. "Okay - time to spill the beans, girl. Just how much of that were you in on? I want all the details - and I want them _now_."

Hesitantly at first, Jane began to explain. She had never told anyone about Thor - Darcy and Erik, her closest friends, had been in on the story from the beginning. And after what they - and the world - had seen in New York, Kelly matched the incredible tale with S.H.E.I.L.D. rumours and a few studies she had been involved in.

"So you're telling me..." Kelly brought up still image of Thor, oversized battle-hammer in hand. "That this guy - who's not even a guy! - is your boyfriend?"

Jane wanted to laugh out loud, though she wasn't sure if it was because of Kelly's incredulous expression or the fact that she had referred to Thor as her _boyfriend_.

She couldn't stop grinning as she replied. "I guess so."

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**A/N Hope you guys are enjoying the read, leaving a review is the key to encourage me to write faster :D **

**Soon enough for you, Princess? :)**

**Ruthless, my apologies for the cliffhanger - by the time I finished proofreading it was past midnight in my part of the world :P **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N - To American readers and anyone else not yet having seen the Avengers movie, this chapter contains SPOILERS! **

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Thor wrapped his fingers around Mjölnir, putting so much tension into the motion he was fortunate the handle was unbreakable. He heard the footsteps behind him and it took only a minute to recognize Bruce Banner by the sound of those steps. A human ear would never have heard it, but there was something almost off-key about how Bruce moved, a slight double timbre as if his footfalls echoed. Thor, naturally, had no fear of Bruce's less controlled alter-ego. In fact, he'd quite enjoyed their previous wrestling bout, since it wasn't often that he got a change to put his formidable strength against an equal.

But in his human form, Bruce was actually quite easy to emphasize with for the Thunder God. He was set apart in a manner that Thor could understand, and with his intelligence was somewhat easier to speak with than most. Which reminded him naturally of Jane, and how of all humans she was closer than any to understanding his world.

"Son of Ban." He acknowledged with a tilt of his head as Bruce paused at his side. With an expression between an wince and a smile, he waved a hand. "Just Bruce, please." Speaking with a Thunder God took some getting used to, he thought wryly.

Thor nodded again and turned towards the man, a questioning set to his shoulders. "Loki?"

Bruce chuckled softly. "Natasha is keeping an eye on him, in a mobile containment unit. Not one built for me, amazingly. After her little interrogation trick I think he's actually pretty wary of her."

Thor smiled, though his eyes were distant. "She's a rare human."

It was exactly phrases like that - referring to _other people_ as a human - that tended to throw Bruce. He scratched the back of his unruly hair a little nervously. He'd never related properly to people. Figures and diagrams, he could understand. People had no variables. Thunder Gods even less so.

"Because she makes Loki nervous?" He clarified. Thor laughed briefly. "That also - but anyone who catches Barton's eye is rare in itself."

That surprised Bruce too. From what he'd come to know of Thor, he didn't show respect too often - to anyone. But then, during the battle Bruce had seen Hawkeye shoot an arrow over his shoulder, without looking, and hit a flying Chitauri dead center. Since Bruce couldn't throw worth a damn unless the Other Guy took over, that had impressed him as well. But then he wouldn't have had Thor pegged as a _gossip_, either. Bruce shifted uncomfortably, occasionally shooting a glance towards the larger man. His expression was guarded, lines etched lengthwise along his forehead, brows drawn close together.

Bruce got it in a flash - not really due to a sense of empathy but because he and Thor were in similar places. In fact, exactly the same place. He understood now why Thor had noticed the quote unquote "couple" in their group.

"What's her name?" Bruce ventured. Thor lifted his brows slightly in surprise, then sighed softly. Bruce was on the mark.

"Jane." He replied simply, keeping the longing out of his tone by force of will. Bruce scuffed his feet against the ground. "You wanna talk about it?"

Thor was silent for so long Bruce worried he wasn't going to reply - but he stayed because Thor stayed, which made him suspect he wasn't going to avoid the topic.

"She's not like anyone I've ever met. No Asgardian is like her, that's for sure. She's a scientist, you would get along well with her. She was the first human to piece together the method of travel we of Asgard used to get to Midgard - Earth. She truly saw me as a man, not as a god. Stayed by my side, though it could only being harm to her and those she loved. At first, I thought it mere curiosity, that I held answers she had been trying to find most her life. But it became more than that. Mayhap I knew it all along, denied the truth to myself. At the time I thought of my banishment here as just that - a place to endure until I could return home. Jane though - ah, she taught me... love. Love for this planet." Thor waved a hand at the wooded area before them as if to indicate the natural beauty, but he didn't think Bruce was fooled.

"You love her." He said, in simple statement. There was a beat before he continued. "And you ought to go and tell her."

Thor looked up, real surprise on his features this time. Bruce smiled stoicly. "We can hold down the fort. Take it from soembody who knows - these things shouldn't wait. Go tell Jane how you feel. I'll cover with Coulson."

Thor clapped Bruce on the shoulder. "I think you are right, my friend. Tread with caution around my brother - for his sake that is. I want him in one piece when we return to Asgard for his sentencing." His blue eyes twinkled and Bruce actually laughed.

Every night, Jane rugged up in a termal layer and padded overcoat, braving the chilly Norwegian nights in the hopes of glimpsing the Northern Lights, one of her many scientific fascinations. The sky overhead was clear this evening, with only a few clouds in the distance. As she had so many weeks ago under the New Mexico sky, Jane retreated to the roof of her lab. It was already dark - she hadn't yet gotten used to the strange day/night cycles here.

Sleep hadn't been coming easy, and so she curled up on a battered old deck chair, covered by a warm woollen blanket, steaming thermos at her side, for third time in as many nights. But though she studied the skies constantly, darkness prevailed.

She knew she ought to be getting sleepy as midnight drew closer, still with no lights. There was a lot of work to get done the following morning, including trying to get a hold of of Phil Coulson and try to get him to tell her what happened in New York. Or at least get him to admit S.H.E.I.L.D. were behind this promotion of hers.

But sleep was impossible knowing Thor was back on Earth (curse it if she almost didn't call her own planet by the name Midgard - Thor really was starting to affect her thoughts) and that any minute, he might come soaring up to her rooftop in search of her.

Which, in fact, was exactly what happened. She heard the soft footfalls on the roof's surface as she was folding the blanket, which dropped from her hands, forgotten, when she turned around.

She had hoped, but she hadn't really _believed_. But he had come for her. "Am I dreaming?" She asked in a hushed tone, thinking that if she was, she really did not want to wake up. Thor stood on her rooftop looking so unquestionably Thor-like, shoulders braced confidently, deep crimson cape thrown back - his very, very blue eyes on her.

"_**Jane**_!" He proclaimed her name so loudly had their been neighbours within earshot they would have complained, and she was in motion the minute he spoke.

Any doubts she had about his feelings and where they stood with one another were vanished away like one of Loki's illusions - seeing him grin just for her and hold out his arms and hearing the boom of his laughter rumble through his chest, music to her ears - she knew he had waited for her, as she had for him. In a very un-Jane-like show of exuberance she leaped at him in joy and he caught her easily, crushing her in his embrace and lifting her off the ground.

Oh,_ how _he had missed her. He thought of how painful it had been when Heindall was his only link to her, when he was stuck on Asgard when all he wanted was to hold her one more time. But now with her _really_ here, arms clinging to his neck, head nestled into the curve of his shoulder, her sweet voice whispering his name - his memory hadn't done her justice at all. He pressed her fragile figure to his brawnier body as tightly as he could without physically harming her, wondering how he would ever have the strength to leave her again.

"If this is a dream, you better not wake me up." Laughed Jane through the tears of happiness that had sprung without warning from her eyes. Thor kept one arm wrapped around her - her feet a good eight inches from the ground, so tight was his embrace - and tenderly raised his free hand to wipe her tears away, then cradle the side of her face. "This could not be a dream. No dream could ever be so beautiful as you."

Laughing still, caught up in the sheer exhilaration of seeing him again, she rested her much smaller hand over his. "Thor - I missed you so much." His heart seemed to stuttered then restart at twice it's usual pace.

"And I you." He managed, trying to find the courage for what he needed to tell her.

Not in all his life had he said this to anyone before.

"Jane Foster - I love you."

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**A/N - I think I kept you all waiting long enough :D**

**A BIG thankyou to all my reviewers, even those who just let me know they enjoyed it or couldn't wait for the next chapter, I appreciate the time taken to say so - this chapter is for you guys! **

**Ruthless - I would have thought so, but it was Kelly who referred to Thor as 'boyfriend' - Jane just didn't disagree, probably because she had no other label to put on what she has with Thor. I believe by that stage the connection they formed was pretty deep though ;) **

**Starry Eyed - not long :D And I shouldn't tease you and other American fans by saying that I've already seen The Avengers movie twice, should I? :P **

**Lwolf - she gets a mention but no, she is not in the movie, you're right. **

**V - Thankyou! I have been purposely leaving out really lengthy description in order to keep the story simple, plus get it to you guys sooner! **

**Rwar - I don't often lemon it up, leaving it to the imagination, but if there's a high demand I'll think about it more :) **


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